As part of Cemeti’s exhibition at the time, Bodies of Power/Power for Bodies, we organise a two-day symposium, curated in collaboration with Hyphen research collective, entitled IS IT WORKING?*. The symposium invites artists, academics, community initiatives and educational platforms to look in-depth at the “working conditions” surrounding social practice and collaborations with constituencies. Asking who are we working for and why, as well as why do people engage and what for; on whose TERMS, under what CONDITIONS and how are these APPLIED?

Each day of the symposium consists of three sections. The first section, TERMS, will start with a public reading of a text that has been important in shaping this symposium; after which an academic or researcher will sketch a theoretical position that will function as a possible trigger for conversation. For the second section of each day, CONDITIONS, we will divide into two separate groups. In each group five invited practitioners or communities will briefly present issues or questions they face in their work with constituencies, before opening out to a group conversation with the public. Each day will finish with an APPLIED section, in which one member of each of the two working group will share what was discussed, in order to collectively reflect on issues raised. In addition, several artists’ works including a performance and films, will be presented at different moments across the two days.